A HIGH-FLYING solicitor is spearheading the war against yobs causing misery in inner-city communities.

Angela Montgomery has been recruited by Salford council to head a new crime and disorder team devoted to tackling anti-social behaviour.

Ms Montgomery, 37, is regarded as an expert in putting into practice new legislation which allows local authorities to take action against persistent troublemakers.

She has been brought from Liverpool, where she made history by securing the country's first anti-social behaviour orders against a pair of teenage vandals in September 1999.

Her new role as Salford's crime and disorder solicitor is part of the council's effort to protect residents from intimidating groups of youths.

She has pledged to reduce crime, but admitted she faced a tough task to improve communities blighted by years of deprivation.

She said: ''Salford obviously has a high crime rate and has particular difficulties, like any inner-city with youths causing a nuisance.

''Salford is clear that it wants to take a long-term approach. It's not an authority that's looking for a quick-fix. We will apply for ASBOs where they are appropriate and we need to be in partnership with the community to do that.''

Ms Montgomery revealed the council was considering applying for about 40 anti-social behaviour orders after complaints about individuals across the city.

She has called for more residents to speak out against troublemakers. She said Salford's ''no-grass'' culture often made it difficult to build cases against yobs.

She blamed poor parenting for youngsters' behaviour in many cases and vowed to tackle the problem using new legislative powers.

Parents of offenders under 16 can be served with a parenting order forcing them to attend classes in how to deal with their children. Ms Montgomery also said she would continue to carry out truancy sweeps to clamp down on parents allowing children to miss school - a major problem in Salford.

Child safety orders can also be served on troublesome under-10s, banning them from designated areas and forcing them to return home before a certain time in the evening.

The crime and disorder team will work closely with police neighbourhood co-ordinators, social services, youth offending teams and education officers, enabling the council to take quick, effective action against youngsters causing problems.

Ms Montgomery said: ''The presence of a unit that delivers a service that's fast and responsive can go some way to reducing both short-term and long-term levels of crime.

''If we look back three years from now and we see that juvenile crime has dropped by 25 per cent, then that's a success. But success is also measured by better education and health. It has to be about improving the quality of life for the communities in Salford.''